Anita Snook: The Women Who Took a Stand in the Clouds

By: Rebeca Garza-Doty and Carolyn Kress

Junior Division

Group Website

Student Composed Words: 1200

Process Paper Word Count: 497

 Within the Des Moines Register Famous Iowans database, Neta Snook caught our

attention because of her unintentional inspiration for women and men. We promptly looked

farther into her life and impact on history. Neta Snook took a stand for women and aviation by

breaking gender barriers and expectations in the early 1900's. She followed her passion, and

pursued her dream of flying when aviation was just being introduced, and when women were

thought of as being incapable of obtaining a professional job. Snook seemed to be often

discussed with Amelia Earhart, whom she taught to fly. As we read more about her, we gained

respect for her and the life she lived.

As we began, it was extremely difficult to find credible sources with information on

Snook only. Many sources spoke briefly of Snook, but mainly of Amelia Earhart. Now, we know

much more about the life of Snook and her impact on history and aviation. After conducting our

research, we recognized that Snook is underappreciated, even though she played a large role in

aviation. Additionally, we feel that she should be acknowledged for her impact on the world of

early aviation, and her determination. Since we chose a more obscure topic, we had limited

sources and mainly relied on websites and databases. However, the autobiography I Taught

Amelia to Fly, was excellent because we could be positive that all of the information was

historically accurate. Likewise, we contacted at least five sources, receiving valuable information

from multiple. Two of our responding sources include the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American

History and the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library. From the Gilder Lehrman Institute of

American History, we received many beneficial primary documents, including a journal of

Snooks, where she had drawn numerous sketches.

 Narrowing our options, we decided that having a visual would be a great way to display

the information and multitude of images. As for choosing a website, we believed that something

interactive would be easier for others to access and view, while also giving us an opportunity to

work with technology and web design.

Neta Snook took a stand in many ways, including aviation collectively. Aviation was

being introduced at the time, so people in the field were often criticized. Aircraft was being used

in the war, therefore many people did not think of it as a fitting career for society. However, she

continued to pursue her passion. Subsequently, she took a stand for women, going against

expectations at the time. For instance, Snook's mother felt embarrassed and desired for her to go

to a different school, in the hopes of changing her interests. Besides her grandfather, her family

originally did not approve of Snook's career decision.

Overall, Snook lived an inspirational life that is not valued enough, although she was

eventually inducted into the Iowa Aviation Hall of Fame in 1992. She took a stand for both

genders in the field of aviation, along with setting an example for women to pursue their

passions.